


Heartbroken

by appandolini



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:28:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25179973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/appandolini/pseuds/appandolini
Summary: Stefan's vendetta against Klaus begins to poison the people around him. The first to fall.....his brother.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	Heartbroken

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. The story takes place in the middle of the episode "The Murder of One", season 3 episode 18, however everything that follows is my own interpretation of the plot.

Damon awoke to the sound of his own blood dripping from the bear traps at his wrists. He silently cursed Rebekah for her vindictive gene that must be inherited considering her psycho hybrid brother, but he had to admit....it was quite the set-up. Just as he contemplated possible means to escape, Rebekah stalked into the room, her heels making sharp clicks against the tile floors. 

"Look who finally decided to wake up. I was beginning to think I would have to do it myself."

She held up a wicked looking dagger, it's blade already stained with blood...Damon's blood. 

"What's the big plan Blondie? You obviously brought me here for a reason, so can we just skip to the part where you enact your psycho-bitch revenge? This is getting tedious."

Even as he spoke, Rebekah moved closer, with each step her grin widened. Damon felt a twinge of dread as he watched as she twirled the knife in her hands. 

"Oh Damon, after what you did do you really think I'm in any hurry? I simply want to be even, and also to teach you a lesson on how to treat women. You don't seem to be very good at it. I mean you've royally snubbed your chances with Elena, you made Caroline your little blood bag awhile back, and you tricked me into sleeping with you so you could find a weapon to kill me and my family. If I didn't know better, I would say you were sexist asshole who only views women as objects to satisfy your primitive need to...relieve yourself."

She continued twirling the knife, and without warning shoved the blade deep into Damon's chest. He screamed, more in surprise than in pain, yet it didn't stop it from hurting like hell.

"So what..." he groaned as she pushed the knife deeper, scratching his heart with the blade, "you brought me here to avenge the sisterhood?"

"I brought you here to torture you, if that wasn't already blatantly obvious. More importantly, I brought you here to drain the vervain from your system, since I know you and your little posse have been guzzling it ever since we came to town." She said annoyingly, as if they were overreacting in their protective defenses. "I have so many plans for you Damon..." The way she purred those words out made Damon uneasy. He knew Rebekah was cunning, and he feared what she would compel him to do. 

"I certainly hope you will clean this up once you've finished." It was Klaus. Damon watched as he sauntered into to the room, each step filled with confident arrogance. In this moment Damon wanted nothing more than to tear his head off. 

"Rebekah....could you give us a moment?"

"What, Nik no! This is my business, I don't need you meddling." Even though her words sounded strong, her voice was filled with annoyance and a twinge of something more subtle...fear?

"Rebekah please, don't be stubborn. You've had your fun. Now, I have my own business with Mr. Salvatore." Although he was speaking to Rebekah, his eyes never left Damon, helpless against any attack.

Damon looked to Rebekah, hoping she would continue insisting, saving him from whatever Klaus had planned. Unfortunately, Rebekah simply sighed defiantly, threw the knife that was formerly in Damon's chest onto the floor and stormed off. Klaus chuckled at his sister's display and stalked towards Damon. Damon watched him carefully as he reached closer until he was standing directly in front of him. Klaus did nothing, simply staring at his sister's handy-work. 

As Damon watched him, he felt the fear rise inside him, an intense dread. "Look, I know I'm pretty, but I thought neurotic blondes were more your speed."

"I'm going to be honest with you Damon, I've been feeling a little down lately. It feels like my power has not only been questioned, but actively challenged by you and your brother. I feel this incessant need to end this rebel-complex you and your friends share. And the only way I can think to do that, is by destroying the source."

Damon tensed as Klaus wrapped his fingers around his throat, cutting off his air. Damon choked as Klaus forced his head up to look into his eyes.

"Damon, I am going to let you out, and when I do, I want you to go home....and I want you to kill your brother."

Damon gasped and tried to escape Klaus's grip, but it was already over. He felt the idea build in his mind, knowing he would have no choice. But he had to fight it. He wouldn't kill his brother....he wouldn't. Klaus's grip tightened, bringing their eyes together once more.

"One more thing....you aren't going to tell anyone you've been compelled. At least, not until after Stefan is dead."

Klaus let out a short laugh, sporting a brilliant smile, happy with his work, he released the cages that trapped Damons wrists. Damon let out a small groan as his wrists began to heal, too slowly. He needed blood. He needed to kill his brother. 

"Go on then, be on your way."

Damon looked at Klaus with rage and felt his legs move towards the door. Towards Stefan. 

\--------

"Damon, where the Hell are you? Fin is back in town, we're making our move tonight. Call me back." He was standing outside Elena's house waiting to bring her to the Salvatore house to plan next steps.

Stefan hung up the phone in annoyance and confusion. Where was Damon? They just got the stakes, they had a plan, no way would he skip town when they were so close to killing Klaus. He knew they only had so long before the siblings unlinked themselves, they didn't have time for delays. 

"Stefan!" It was Elena, her silky hair draping around her shoulders. He felt a pang of remorse. Stefan wanted nothing more than to bring her into his arms, but he knew...he had to redeem himself, and although she didn't like it, he knew killing Klaus was the only way to be truly free. If they didn't kill the hybrid he would continue to torment the people he loved. 

"Elena, you ready?" She walked up to him, a panicked look on her face.

"Stefan, I just got off the phone with Alaric, he said Rebekah came to the house and attacked him and Damon. He said she took Damon!"

"What are you talking about, where are they?"

"I don't know! But we have to find him, if they find out about our plan they could kill him."

Stefan turned away in frustration. This couldn't be happening. This COULDN'T be happening. They have a plan, and it's a damn good plan. 

"No....Elena, we need to go forward with the plan. Fin is in town, we have to kill him. If we kill him, Rebekah will be dead too, so this wouldn't have mattered anyway."

"Stefan how could you say that? Damon could already be dead, we HAVE to find him!"

"No Elena what we have to do is kill Fin. End of discussion, come on, Matt and Caroline are meeting us at the house, we have to go."

Elena looked at him in horror and disappointment, but she didn't argue. 

\-------

Stefan and Elena walked through the doors of the Salvatore house to find Caroline and Matt waiting in the living room. 

"What's going on? What happened to Damon, and what the hell do we do now?" Caroline demanded. She looked angry and panicked as she stared at Stefan, waiting for an answer. 

"Rebekah has Damon", Stefan paused as he shot a glance to Elena, looking at him hopefully, "and we are going to move forward with the plan." He watched as the hope drained from Elena's eyes. He blinked away his shame and walked in to join Caroline and Matt. 

"Ok...so what's the plan?" Matt asked, breaking an uncomfortable silence. 

"Tonight at the grill, we kill Fin. An ambush attack. We lure him out and finish him off in the ally behind the grill."

After about an hour of discussion, they had a plan, seemingly foolproof, but Stefan wasn't about to let this opportunity slip their grasp. As the others left, Stefan was left alone with Elena. She was staring into the empty fireplace, probably contemplating all the ways Rebekah was tormenting Damon at this very moment. She didn't really think he didn't care did she? He cared about his brother, but there are more important things to worry about right now.

"Second thoughts?"

"No Stefan. I know we need to do this, but I didn't want to do this with Damon's life on the line. What if they find out what we're planning? What if we fail and Fin warns Klaus? What if Damon is already dead?!"

"Elena, I can't afford to think about that right now! We are so close to winning, to beating Klaus!"

"Yes Stefan! We are closer than we have ever been, but what does it matter if we lose Damon in the process?"

"You of all people should want Klaus dead."

"Of course I want him dead! After everything he's done to me....to you. I want him dead. But Stefan," she said his name like a whisper, "what are we willing to give up? Are you willing to let your brother die so you can fulfill some petty revenge scheme?"

"Why the sudden fierce urge to protect my brother?"

With that Elena froze. She looked surprised, but her surprise was soon replaced with anger.

"Stefan," she began slowly, trying to control her rage, "this isn't about us. And even if it was, YOU were the one who pushed ME away. Damon spent every waking moment looking for you, and in return.....you KILLED Andy. And even then he didn't stop! Now, when the roles are reversed, you'd let Damon die..."

Stunned, Stefan simply stared at her. He heard her words, and deep down, he knew they were true.

"Fine. I guess we'll have to do this without you."

Stefan knew what he was doing by cutting her out, but the only thing he cared about now was killing Klaus. Elena looked at him with pain in her eyes and walked out of the house, slamming the door behind her. Stefan sighed, this wasn't going to be easy to come back from. If he was able to kill Klaus it would all be ok. Damon would understand, in fact, he would prefer that they not be wasting valuable time to save him and give up this chance. As he was attempting to justify his actions, he heard someone opening the front door. He turned, expecting to see Elena with more arguments, but instead saw someone unexpected. He watched, stunned, as Damon walked into the house, his nearly unrecognizably blue shirt stained with blood.

"Damon?"

"Hello brother."

Without warning Damon launched himself at Stefan, who just noticed the stake in his hand. Stefan lunged to the side to avoid the stake, but Damon was quicker, he always was. He forced Stefan into the chair Caroline had been sitting not 15 minutes ago, and plunged the stake deep into his thigh. Stefan screamed in pain and surprise, but he was unable to remove the stake which was so deep it impaled the chair, keeping him trapped. 

"Damon what the hell are you doing?" Stefan grunted as he tried in vain to free himself. Why was he doing this? Then it clicked. Rebekah. She must have bled the vervain from his system, it would certainly explain the state of his clothes. 

"Damon....stop....you're being compelled....you have to fight it."

"Oh right, yeah of course!" Damon's words dripped with sarcasm and annoyance, but there was something else....Stefan looked deeply into his brother's icy blue eyes.....in them he saw fear. Fear that he was going to kill his brother, and there was nothing he could do to stop himself.

"Damon please, you can fight it. I fought it when Klaus compelled me to kill Elena, you just have to be strong enough." Stefan spoke with panic, knowing there was a very strong chance he was about to die. Just as Damon began to walk towards Stefan, Elena walked into the house.

"Damon! I was about to leave when I saw you, what happened?" Her gaze, which was on Damon moved to Stefan. "What's going on?"

In a flash Damon ripped off Elena's vervain necklace. "Go home Elena." Unfortunately, since the increased danger they had all been in as of recently, Elena had decided one necklace wouldn't be enough, she had been sipping vervain for weeks now. 

"Damon I'm on vervain, please, tell me what's going on?" She sounded frightened at the sight of Stefan in the chair and Damon covered in his own blood.

"Elena I need you to leave right now." Damon was unmoving, but he sounded as if he was pleading to her.

"Elena, Rebekah compelled him." Stefan groaned as he tried to pull the stake out of his leg. He needed to get Elena out of here and lock Damon up. If they succeed at their plan, the compulsion will be lifted, but Stefan didn't know how to overpower his brother, especially not when his brother was being compelled to murder him. 

"Damon," it was Elena speaking, she sounded urgent, "please, I need you to focus on me."

Damon lifted his gaze from Stefan and let it fall onto Elena.

"Ok, you don't want to kill Stefan-"

"Of course I don't want to kill him Elena! But I don't have a choice!" Damon appeared at the table and crushed it, grabbing a stake that splintered off in the impact. He moved towards Stefan and raised his arm, ready to strike.

"DAMON! NO!" Elena yelled as she ran towards them.

"Don't move Elena!" Damon turned to her with his hand outstretched, motioning for her to stay away. He turned back to Stefan.

"I don't want to kill you Stefan." He sounded so broken. "I can't fight it..." Stefan looked into his eyes again, recognizing the pain behind them. It was almost as if he were asking for forgiveness for what he was about to do. 

"Damon.....come on....you can fight this....you HAVE to fight this. You just have to care enough not to kill me."

To Stefan's surprise, Damon laughed. "You think I don't CARE?! As much as you delude yourself into thinking otherwise, I care Stefan. I care about you, but you know what....I don't think you care about me. I don't think you've ever cared about me."

"What are you talking about?"

"The patterns of behavior Stef....the fact that during all those abusive years, father never once touched you. I don't think he could, which hurt me. It hurt me knowing that even though we were both his sons, he loved you enough not to beat you. And even after we got older, I never heard you stand up for me." Tears were welling in Damon's blue eyes, the stake firmly gripped in his hand. "And when we finally escaped him, what did you do? You ruined my life by turning me into a vampire. You didn't CARE about ME! You just wanted your brother.....I wanted to die......" Elena moved closer to Damon, her hand outstretched, as if she wanted to comfort him. "No Elena, don't"

"Damon please, it's the compulsion, Rebekah must've-"

"It wasn't Rebekah who-" He choked on the word, he wasn't allowed to tell anyone he'd been compelled. At this, Elena knew.

"Oh my god, Klaus. He's the one that compelled you?"

Damon didn't answer and instead walked closer to Stefan, still held in place by the stake in his leg. He stirred as he watched his brother walk towards him. 

"You see Stefan? You only cared about revenge....even after you found out Rebekah had me that's all you focused on......yeah, that's right," Damon saw the look of surprise wash across Stefan's face, "I heard you talking to Elena. Funny how once again, the lives of others just aren't enough to keep you from getting what you want. You always claimed to possess this deep compassion and empathy for other people, yet time and again you demonstrate your total selfishness. I mean.....for God's sake Stefan, you're a bigger murderer than I am, yet you've got this unshakeable righteousness complex that just won't quit."

"Damon please......I don't know what you want me to say."

"Don't you get it Stefan? I don't want you to say anything, because whatever you say.....it doesn't matter....it won't change anything."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, it won't matter because I won't believe it. Actions speak louder than words Stef and yours have told me that I never really had a brother...." Damon's eyes shown with tears about to fall down his cheek.

Those words hurt Stefan deeply, he began to wonder if what Damon actually meant what he said, or if it was apart of the compulsion. Either way, Stefan couldn't help feeling a deep shame build inside him. Before he could pull himself out of his thoughts, Damon was there, he grabbed Stefan's hair and raised the stake. 

"Damon please!" Elena ran forward, tears in her eyes. "You don't want to do this Damon, I know you don't! Put the stake down! Please!"

Damon stared at his brother, tears now freely streaming down his face. He let go of Stefan's hair, but didn't put down the stake. 

"Damon?" Stefan looked at his brother with confusion. He felt like he could almost see the thoughts swirling in Damon's mind, he only wished he could read them. As he watched, he saw his brother look up at him.....he looked serene, as if all his problems had melted away in one second.....He raised the stake higher. "I'm sorry." With one swift motion, Damon plunged the stake into his heart. Damon gasped, Elena screamed, and Stefan looked on in horror at his dying brother. Damon. He killed himself so he wouldn't kill me. That thought took over his mind as he watched Damon collapse to the floor, his hand falling away from the stake protruding from his chest. Elena ran to his side and pulled the stake out of his heart, tears running down her cheeks. Stefan felt a new-found strength and jerked the stake out of his leg. In a second he was at his brother's side, he watched as the desiccation spread up his neck. Stefan looked into Damon's eyes, knowing there was no time. No time to apologize, no time to tell him that he did have a brother, a brother that didn't want him to die. But before he could think of anything to say, Damon's eyes fluttered shut as he breathed out, his chest falling, never to rise again. Stefan shook his brother, screamed his name, but there was nothing he could do. He was dead. His brother was dead. Elena was crying next to him, clutching Damon's hand as if to try and bring him comfort. Stefan breathed out, he felt faint. This couldn't be happening, Damon couldn't be dead. As Stefan struggled to stand Elena's phone rang. She looked at Stefan as if asking him for permission. He nodded faintly and looked back at his brother.

Elena answered the phone, her face stilled stained with tears, "Caroline I-"

"Elena where the HELL are you? Matt and I are here at the grill, where are you and Stefan?"

"Caroli-", she choked and bit back a sob as she tried to get the words out, "Caroline, Damon.....he came to the house-"

"He's back? That's great, get his ass over here to help!"

"No Care, he came to the house to kill Stefan."

"WHAT? Oh my god, Elena.....why?" Caroline could hear her trying not to break down, "Elena?" Her voice softened.

"Care, Klaus compelled Damon to kill Stefan, that's where he's been, he came to the house......he.....he was about to kill Stefan, but then he-" Elena tried to choke back to sob but it fought it's way out, "he staked himself Caroline....Damon is dead."

Stefan flinched at the words. He hadn't taken his eyes off his brother. He kept hoping he would wake up, that he had bad aim and missed his heart. But he knew it was all in vain. His brother was dead.....and it was his fault. 

"Oh my god.....Elena.....I-"

"I've gotta go." Without waiting for a response she hung up the phone. "Stefan?"

Stefan didn't move his gaze. How did it come so far? How did he let it get this far? This was what he was trying to avoid. He wanted to kill Klaus to protect the people he loved. Yet here, lying at his feet, the person he loved most in the world, dead, because he had to pick a fight with a powerful, vindictive bastard. 

"Stefan?!"

Stefan looked up at Elena, his vision blurry from tears. 

"Stefan, what do we do? What.....what do we do??" Elena looked at him and she could see his eyes flick back to Damon. She followed his gaze. Damon, lying motionless.....he looked so peaceful.....she looked down, she was still holding his hand. His skin felt soft against hers. She gently set his hand over his chest to cover his wound. She went to stand, only to find she had been kneeling in a pool of his blood. She scrambled back and let out a sob. Stefan still stood motionless staring at his brother.

"Elena......I don't know.....I.....I don't know what to do, I-"

Stefan felt his knees give out, he knelt down trying to regain his balance.

"Stefan," Elena said tearfully, "I'm so sorry."

"This is my fault." She knelt down beside him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"No, Stefan, no this isn't your fault."

Stefan pushed her off and went to stand. He suddenly couldn't stand the sight of Damon and turned away."Yes Elena, it is. This is my fault, I did this. I picked a fight with Klaus and this was the consequence." He walked toward the empty fireplace and placed his hands on the mantel, trying to breathe. "I did this.....my brother is dead.....because of me." Stefan felt a sob rise in his throat and he began to shake.

"Stefan...."

"No Elena!" He pointed to Damon, "This is my fault......he came to kill me.....and instead.....he's always protected me......and I-" Stefan doubled over in sobs. It was too much....he knew the truth.....while Damon was being tortured and compelled, Stefan ignored him......he ignored his own brother when he was in danger. Damon knew this, and even after this betrayal, he still sacrificed his life. Damon's words spun through his head like a hurricane. Stefan had always tried to be a good person to everyone, but now......he wondered if he'd ever been a good person to his brother. 

"Stefan....please, don't do anything.....rash."

"What? Like kill Klaus? Because n-"

"No Stefan, I mean....." She paused, Stefan looked at her in confusion. "I mean....don't flip the switch."

Stefan looked at her, her face filled with concern and grief. 

"I won't."

"You say that Stefan, but..."

"Elena, after everything you and D-", he paused, then continued, "after everything you and Damon did to get me back, I won't throw it away. I won't."

Before Elena could say anything, Caroline and Matt walked through the door and stopped when they saw Damon on the floor.

"Oh my god." Caroline's voice was quiet. Matt simply looked from Caroline, to Elena, then to Stefan, waiting for someone to say something.

"Can I have a moment?" Stefan spoke quietly. Elena looked at him, then walked off into another room, motioning for Caroline and Matt to follow, leaving Stefan alone with Damon.

Stefan walked over to his brother and knelt at his side. As he stared he felt a wave of guilt and devastation washed over him. He felt himself pulling Damon into his lap. He cradled his brother's head, feeling his hair tickle the bare skin of his arms. Stefan sobbed holding him tighter against his chest. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry......I-" Stefan sobbed again, this time into Damon's shoulder, wishing he could embrace him, tell him.......the truth was, he didn't know what he could say..... I never really had a brother.....those words pained Stefan as he cried into Damon's shirt. He wanted nothing more than to be held by him, to apologize, to do anything but feel this grief, this guilt. But Stefan knew, he deserved this guilt. He lifted Damon off the floor and set him gently on a couch. Stefan reached for a blanket and pulled it over his brother's body. With a sigh, he walked into the kitchen where his friends sat, waiting anxiously. 

Caroline stood up as she saw him enter the room, "Stefan?"

"I'm sorry, I just....I'm not sure what to say."

Elena stood and walked toward him, "You don't have to say anything, we're here for you." Stefan flinched, he didn't want sympathy or support, he wanted to be alone. 

"If you don't mind, we can talk tomorrow."

They understood, and one by one, they walked out of the house, giving Stefan words of support or sorrow, trying to help, but Stefan didn't want their help. 

He wanted his brother.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic, so I would be very grateful for any feedback you might like to give :)


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